Narrowing device for flat knitting machines



June 28, 1938. w. HEINITZ NARROWING DEVICE FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l fin 0262617202 June 28, 1938. w. HEINITZ NARROWING DEVICE FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig; fmzw 205925;

Patented James, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Waldemar Heinitz, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor to Schubert 8r Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschatt, Chemnitz, Germany Application March 29, 1937, Serial No. 133,732 In Germany April "I, 1936 '2 Claims. (01. 66-89) The prese'ntinvention relates to a narrowing device for fiat knitting machines capable ofbeing used for diamond narrowing as well as for fabric narrowing. I

Several devices for controlling the wedge narrowing as well as the diamond narrowing are known; Whereas in connection with footing machines a control of the wide or broad wedge narrowing devices, lying at the outer side, may 10 be possible and the movement of thesmall diamond narrowing devices arranged at the inner side is effected by a shifting movement due to the movement of the broad wedge narrowing devices i arranged at the outer sideQthat is to say only toes of stockings may be produced, machines producing stockings in a single operation must be so constructed, that the diamond narrowing devices also may be moved independently for the purpose of fabric narrowing. To obtain this object the narrowing bars for the wedge narrowing device and the diamond narrowing device respectively are connected by means of a slide to the narrowing stop in such a manner, that besides the adjustment mentioned above for the production of the toes, an adjustment for fabric narrowing also is possible which is produced by the diamond narrowing devices only.

As the narrowing bars for the diamond narrowing devices donot have their own drive and 30 are held by small racks and blade springs only, the manufacture and adjustment of which offers difiiculties, unexact adjustments of the narrowing device are unavoidable.

A further drawback is the complicated movement over one needle of the diamond narrowing device for the diamond narrowing at the toe of the stocking by means of several lever ratios.

, All these drawbacks are obviated by the device accordingto the present invention. Due to the fact, that the slides present in the machine are provided with a recess formovement over one needle,.the diamond narrowing devices may, during the adjultinent of the slides, be adjusted at each narrowing operation for the distance of two 45 adjacent needles in the most simple manner and without fault. Whereas the wedge narrowing devicesare directly coupled to the slide, the diamond narrowing devices are no longer controlled by the wedge narrowing devices, but are also resiliently pressed against their slide by means of stops fixed to the narrowing bars.

Hereby a positive control free of objections is obtained for the wedge narrowing de'vices as well as for the diamond narrowing devices excluding 55 any sources of faults. The stops are fixed upon the narrowing bars of the diamond narrowing. devices in such a manner, that the diamond narrowing devices in the normal position or the slides rest against the wedge narrowing devices. Therefore, while in the one-position of the slides, 5 i. e. the normal position, both narrowing devices lying against each other may be used as a narrowing device for carrying out narrowings, in the .other position, i. e. the rack position, the production of the tws of stockings is possible. 10

'I-o allow the production of fabric narrowings by means of the small diamond narrowing devices lying at the inside, the control of the two narrowing devices is distributed over two slides one of which controls the wedge narrowing de-..15'

vice only, while the other slide controls the diamond narrowing device only and is formed again as rack slide. The narrowing bars of the diamond narrowing devices are under the action of springs held against the rack slide by means oil 20 stops, while the narrowing bars of the wedge narrowing devices may be coupled or uncoupled with the narrowing stop by means of the second slide. The adjustment of the stops upon the narrowing bars of the diamond narrowing devices is effected in such a manner, that the diamond= narrowing devices in the coupled position of the slides rest against the wedge narrowing devices.

It is therefore possible now to operate with both narrowing devices simultaneously as well as with the diamond narrowing device alone. Due

to the fact, that the slides, controlling the diamond narrowing devices, are provided with a recess for movement over one needle, the manufacture of the stocking toe explained already may be effected.

In the accompanying drawings one embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example, illustrating the two narrowing devices of a single division necessary for the two operating directions of the thread guide bars.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of the complete narrowing device, showing the slides in the normal position for 5' the use of the individual narrowing devices pushed together for effecting fabric narrowings.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1', 4

Fig. 3 is a broken away view similar to Fig. 1, showing the position of the narrowing devices for efiecting wedge narrowings, and

Fig. 4 illustrates a view similar to Fig. 1 with disengaged wedge narrowing devices ior using the diamond narrowing devices alone for the purpose of effecting narrowings.

Mounted upon a narrowing spindle 3, provided with a right-hand thread and left-hand thread 2, and a shaft 4 are narrowing stops 5, 6 which are guided in a well known manner and may by means of the spindle be periodically laterally adjusted corresponding to alterations in the working width. Vertically adjustable mounted in the narrowing stop 5 is a slide 1 and a rack slide 8. Also vertically adjustable mounted in the narrowing stop 6 is a slide 9 anda rack slide Ill. The slide 1 serves for controlling the bar l2, carrying the wedge narrowing device whereas the slide 9 serves as control forthe bar l4, carrying the wedge narrowing device l3. The control of the bar I2 is eii'ected by stops l5, l6 mounted upon said bar between which the slide I may be inserted. The control of the bar I4 is effected in the same manner by means of stops 1, I8 mounted upon said bar between which the slide 9 may be inserted. ,The' slide-I is provided with two notches I9, 20 in which a blade spring 2| fixed to the stop 5 may engage to hold the slide in its adjusted position. The adjustment of the slide is efiected by a handle 22 fixed to said slide.

In the same manner the slide 9 is provided with two notches 23, 24 in which a blade spring 25, fixed to the stop 6, may engage. A handle 26 fixed to the slide 9 serves for the purpose of adjusting said slide. r

The lower end 21 of the rack slide 8 is provided at one side with a. recess. Fixed upon the marrowing bar 29, carrying the diamond narrowing device 28, is a stop 30 pressed against the rack slide 8 by means of a spring 3| one end of which is connected to the narrowing bar 29, whereas the other end is connected to the narrowing stop 5.

The rack slide III. also is provided. with a lateral recess at its lower end 32. Fixed upon the narrowing bar 34, carrying the diamond narrowing device 33, is a stop 35 which in a manner similar to that described above is pressed against the rack slide H] by means of a spring 36 connected with its ends to the narrowing bar 34 and the narrowing stop 6 respectively.

Pins 31 and 38 are fixed to the rack slide 6 vertically above each other and these pins extend through a slot 39 provided in the narrowing stop 5. In the same manner pins 40, 4| are fixed vertically above each other to the rack slide III which pins extend through a slot 42 provided in the narrowing stop 6.

Arranged between the pins 31, 38 and 40, 4| respectively is a rod 43 which is fixed to lever arms 44 pivotally mounted upon the narrowing spindle 3. -A pull rod 45 having a recess at its upper end 46 may be engaged with said rod 43 by means of a cam or the like, not shown in the drawings, by which said rod 45 is swung or oscillated in such a manner, that the recess at its upper end 46 engages the rod 43.

Fig. 1 illustrates the narrowing device in the position for effecting fabric narrowings.

If the levers 44 are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the rod 43, actuating the rack slides 8 and I0, occupies a position in which the lower recessed ends 21 and 32 respectively may come into the path of the stops 36 and 35 fixed upon the bars 29 and 34 carrying the diamond narrowing devices 28 and 33 respectively. The diamond narrowing devices 28 and 33 are, by means of the springs 3| and 36-, pressed against the wedge narrowing devices H and I3 respectively and each of them forms auniform narrowing device. The slides l and 9 are by means of the handles 22 and 26 depressed and by the leaf springs 2| and 25 engaging the upper notches i9 and 23 respectively said slides l and 9 are held in their adjusted position. The lower ends of the slides 'l and-9 lie between the stops l5, l6 and Ill, l8 respectively of the bars vl2 and I4, so that'in a well known manner the narrowing stops 5 and 6 arranged upon the threads I and 2 of the spindle 3 may actuate the wedge narrowing devices II and I3 respectively.

If small narrowing devices only are required, the slides 1 and 9 are lifted by means of the handles 22 and 26 respectively, so that the blade springs 2| and 25 may engage the lower notches 29 and 24 respectively, so as to hold the slides and 9 in this adjusted position. The bars l2 and I4 are in this manner disengaged from the slides I and 9 respectively. The wedge narrowing devices H and |3 may be shifted laterally, so that 'thediamond narrowing devices only occupy the operative position as shown in Fig. 4.

In case the narrowing device is used for the manufacture of a stocking toe, the individual elements occupy the position shown in Fig. 1.

Shortly before picking up the loops, the pull rod 45 is moved in the direction of the arrow X, so that its upper recessed end 46 engages the rod 43, whereupon the rod is drawn downwardly in the direction of the arrow y (Fig. 2)

V The rod 43 in its downward movement takes with it the two' rack slides 8 and I0, so that their recessed ends 21 and 32 come out of the path of the stops 30 and 35 respectively, and by means of the slides 8 and It) the narrowing bars ,29 and 34 together with the diamond narrowing devices 28 and 33 fixed upon them are separated from the Wedge narrowing devices H and I3 respectively for the amount of the rack width which corresponds to one needle pitch, whereby the take-up position shown in Fig. 3 is obtained. With the individual elements in this position taking up is eflected, whereupon the pull rod 45 is lifted again and disengaged. The diamond narrowing devices 28 and 33 are, by the tension of the springs 3| and 36 respectively brought into contact again with the wedge narrowing devices H and I3 respectively. The rack and the tickling off is now eifected in well known manner with the narrowing devices lying against each other.

By means of this positive control of the wedge narrowing devices II and I3 and the diamond narrowing devices 28 and 33, the narrowing devices are moved in the manner required for the manufacture 9f the toe portion of a stocking in a manner free of objections and excluding any faults.

What I claim is:

1. A narrowingdevi'ce for flat knitting machines, comprising a narrowing spindle carrying a right-handthread and a left-hand thread, a narrowing stop arranged upon each of said ti irea'ris, two narrowing bars each carrying a wedge narrowing device, two other narrowing bars each carrying a diamond narrowing device, a slide in each of said narrowing stops adapted to cooperate one with one of said two narrowing bars carrying a wedge narrowing device and the other with the other of said two narrowing bars carrying a wedge narrowing device, and a second slide in each of said narrowing stops adapted to be operatively connected the one with the one and the other with the other of said two other narrowing bars carrying said diamond narrowing devices, the arrangement being such, that the two sets of slides may selectively as well as simultaneously be brought into operative position.

2. A narrowing device for flat knitting machines, comprising a narrowing spindle having a right-hand thread and a left-hand thread, a narrowing stop arranged upon each of said threads, wedge "narrowing bars slidably arranged in the machine, abutment stops mounted upon each of said wedge narrowing bars, a slide in each of said narrowing stops cooperating with said abutment stops to control said wedge narrowing bars, a leaf spring fixed to each 01' said narrowing. stops adapted to engage notches provided in the free end of each of said slides, a handle attached to each of said slides for manually shitting said slides, diamond narrowing bars slidably arranged in the machine, springs connecting said narrowing stops to said diamond narrowing bars, an abutment stop fixed on each of said diamond narrowing bars, a slide in each of said narrowing stops recessed at its lower end and adapted to engage said abutment stop provided on the corresponding diamond narrowing bar, pins fixed to said slides one above each other and extending through slots in said narrowing stops, a cross rod swingably connected to said narrowing spindle, a swingable rod adapted to engage said cross rod and to be moved up and down for shifting said slides cooperating with said diamond narrowing bars.

WOLDEMAR HEINITZ. 

